Creating things is an integral part of my nature. As long as I can remember Ive involved myself in creating various kinds of entertaining works, from drawings, paintings and photographs, to designs for games and theatrical productions, to song writing and roleplay storytelling.

A Creative ChildhoodI am fortunate to come from a family that was always engaged in some form of creative project. My dad painted in acrylic and watercolor, carved wood and soapstone, made linoblock prints, and designed games. My mum sewed costumes, did macramé, made candles, and created art by copper tooling. Neither was a trained or professional artist  they produced their arts and crafts for the love of it. Naturally, I took it all in.By the time I attended high school I had already written and published a school newspaper, a yearbook, written and directed school plays, and undertaken a few illustration, design, and sign-painting assignments.The high school I attended, Georges Vanier Secondary School, had a teaching department devoted to the arts. Here I studied commercial and fine art, life drawing, letter design and painting, printmaking, and photography. My post-secondary studies at Ryerson University extended my knowledge of film, photography, and graphic design.

Intrepid & Miriad MagazinesWhile still in high school I organized and co-chaired a successful SF-media-comic convention and co-published an SF media magazine, Intrepid;sold commercially through regional distributors.While still attending post-secondary school I began co-publishing another SF media magazine, Miriad;this received international commercial distribution. For both magazines my role included writing, editing, art direction, graphic design, and illustration creation.Though under-capitalization resulted in limited growth, both publications attained a reasonable amount of success and acclaim during their run and served as an excellent training vehicle for all involved. Many of the writers that produced material for these magazines are now professional SF authors: S.M. Stirling, Tanya Huff, Robert J. Sawyer, Nalo Hopkinson.

SF Genre IllustrationMy interest in speculative fiction resulted in my spending a brief period as a apprentice to SF illustrator Carl Lundgren. I then promoted my illustrations at the World Science Fiction Convention and at other regional art shows, and met with art directors at publishing houses in New York City. These efforts resulted in my obtaining freelance work providing cover and interior illustrations for hardcovers, paperbacks, and magazines in the genres of SF, Fantasy, Horror, and Roleplay Games.

Animation ArtworkMy published illustrations allowed me to be hired as a Background Layout Artist (and later as an Element Designer) on The Care Bear Movie, and the EwoksandDroidscartoons for Saturday morning television, at Nelvana.

An Original Comic Book SeriesIn 1985 to 1988 I illustrated and co-wrote, with Steve Stirling, a ten-part comic series:A Hero Named Harold, published by Warp Graphics/Apple Comics in an anthology comic book called Fanta-Sci.

Roleplay Game Design, Writing, Illustration & ProductionWhile continuing to work as a creative freelance for other companies, in 1993 I established a game design company, Peregrine, publishing three games Murphys World, Bob, Lord of Evil, GRIT Multigenre Miniatures Rules, and a miniatures supplement, Adventure Areas. I produced most of the illustrations, graphics, and writing for these products while also serving as art director and editor.

Creative Assignments for Other Game CompaniesAssignments for other game companies include the art direction, editing assistance, and production for the techno-fantasy roleplay game Nexus: The Infinite City by Daedalus Games, illustrations for On the Edge, a collector card game from Atlas Games, and To Serve the Pixie Crown, a roleplay game scenario for Palladium Books.